The self-enumeration facility under India’s first-ever fully digitalized Census is scheduled to commence in Tamil Nadu tomorrow (July 17, 2026), announced Shri Sundaresh Babu IAS, Director of Census Operations, Tamil Nadu. Addressing a press conference at the Press Information Bureau (PIB) in Chennai today, the Director urged all members of the public to actively participate in this landmark national exercise.

The 16th National Census is being conducted across the country from April 1 to September 30, 2026. In Tamil Nadu, the field operations will be carried out from August 1 to August 30, 2026, deploying more than 1,50,000 personnels. Shri Sundaresh Babu requested citizens to extend their full cooperation to the field workers during their door-to-door visits, emphasizing that precise data collection is vital for the socio-economic development of the state and the formulation of robust public policies.

During the housing census, detailed information regarding housing conditions, drinking water facilities, sanitation, electricity, internet connectivity, cooking fuel, and vehicle ownership will be compiled. This crucial dataset will serve as the foundation for developmental planning at the national, state, and local body levels. As India's first digital census, this transition marks a historic milestone that will significantly enhance data accuracy and speed up processing times. Replacing traditional paper schedules, dedicated mobile applications will be used for real-time data collection, streamlined by an integrated online platform—the Census Monitoring & Management System (CMMS).

The self-enumeration facility, which allows citizens to securely fill in their details online, will remain active for 15 days from tomorrow, July 17, to July 31, 2026. All households in Tamil Nadu are encouraged to securely complete their self-enumeration by visiting the official portal: https://se.census.gov.in/. As the submitted information will directly integrate into the official national database, the public is requested to ensure the utmost accuracy of the details provided.

Upon successful completion of the self-enumeration process, a unique identification number will be generated. Citizens must present this ID to the enumerators when they visit their homes. Households that do not opt for self-enumeration will be covered during the regular physical enumeration phase scheduled from August 1 to August 30, 2026.

Addressing privacy concerns, the Director assured that a robust three-tier security mechanism has been implemented across mobile devices and server networks to protect personal data. The public is advised to strictly use only the official website to prevent any fraudulent activities.

This year's census marks the 8th census of independent India, taking place 15 years after the previous census in 2011. The exercise is being conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Census Act, 1948, supported by an advanced digital framework.

The press conference was also attended by Shri J. Lincoln Gnanadas, Deputy Registrar General of the Directorate of Census Operations (Tamil Nadu), and Smt. J. Vijayalakshmi, Deputy Director of the Press Information Bureau, Chennai.

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